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Extended travel rotating mechanism

Extended travel rotating mechanism description/claims

1. Field of Invention

The invention relates to a seat assembly for an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a power retracting assembly for automatically moving the seat assembly between a seating position and a stowed position.

2. Description of the Related Art

Automotive vehicles include seat assemblies for supporting occupants within the vehicle. A seat assembly typically includes a generally horizontal seat cushion coupled to a generally vertical seat back. It is known in the seating art to provide a stowable seat assembly movable between a seating position for supporting occupants above a floorpan of the vehicle and a stowed position nested within a recess formed in the floorpan. Generally in such seat assemblies, a leg extends between an upper end pivotally coupled to the seat cushion and a lower end pivotally coupled to the floorpan. An actuator selectively pivots the seat cushion approximately 200 degrees while the lower end of the leg pivots about the floorpan to move the seat between the seating and stowed positions. It is desirable to provide a power retracting system for a vehicle seat assembly which employs a single actuator to pivot the seat cushion while also pivoting the leg.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a power retracting assembly coupled between a seat assembly and a floor of an automotive vehicle for moving the seat assembly between a seating position spaced above the floor and a stowed position lying flat along the floor. The retracting assembly comprises an inner plate adapted to be fixedly secured to the seat assembly, an output shaft fixedly secured to the inner plate for controlling rotational movement of the inner plate about an upper axis and rotating the seat assembly about the upper axis, and an outer plate rotatably coupled to the output shaft for rotation about the upper axis. A power actuator is operatively coupled to the output shaft for selectively energizing and rotating the inner plate in a first direction and the outer plate in a direction opposite the inner plate. A link extends between a first end fixed to the outer plate and a second end adapted to be pivotally coupled to the floor and rotatable about a primary lower axis, whereby rotation of the outer plate in a first direction about the upper axis causes pivotal movement of the second end of the link about the primary lower axis in a second direction. The link pulls the outer plate about the primary lower axis in the second direction therewith to rotate the seat assembly about the lower axis.

Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a power retracting system for a vehicle seat assembly according to the invention with the seat assembly in a seating position;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the power retracting system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the power retracting system of FIG. 1 with the seat assembly between the seating position and a stowed position;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the power retracting system of FIG. 1 with the seat assembly between the seating and stowed positions;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the power retracting system of FIG. 1 with the seat assembly in the stowed position; and

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the power retracting system of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a portion of a seat assembly 10 including a power retracting assembly 12 according to the invention. The seat assembly 10 includes a seat cushion frame 14 for supporting a seat occupant above a floorpan 18 of a vehicle. The seat assembly 10 pivots between a seating position A, shown in FIG. 1, and a stowed position B, shown in FIG. 5, recessed within a well 19 in the floor pan 18.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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